1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a golf club, more particularly to a golf club having a position indicator mounted thereto to guide correction of the inclination of the golf club so as to facilitate finding the optimum golf club striking position of a golfer.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the popularity of golf increases worldwide, the number of people wanting to learn to play golf similarly increases. However, a golf course can accommodate only a limited number of golfers at a single time. Furthermore, in order to acquire the required skill to play golf properly, many days of practice are needed. This is impractical for a would-be student who has no time to spend each day on a golf course or in a driving range in order to learn how to properly handle the golf club and how to strike the ball for different distances.
In conventional golf, the optimum golf club striking position depends upon the required ball distance, the height of the golfer and the type of golf club in use. Adjustments to the position of the golf club relative to the golf ball are usually made according to the naked eye. Since there is no basis for comparing a former golf club striking position with the present golf club striking position, a golfer has no way of determining whether the golf club should be shifted to the left or right or whether the height of the golf club should be adjusted. Thus, continuous practice is needed before the golfer can accurately strike the ball for different distances. For long distances, such as 200 meters, the inclination of the golf club is important so as to obtain the maximum distance for a single stroke. A student golfer thus spends a lot of time looking for the optimum golf club striking position in order to reach his objective of maximum range. As a consequence, golf is often referred to as a rich man's sport because of the huge amount of time and money spent in learning golf.
Presently, various devices are installed on a golf club in order to assist the golfer in properly positioning the same. U.S. Pat. No. 4,482,155 discloses a bubble level indicator which is attached to the handle grip end of a golf club. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,976,046, 3,429,576 and 4,902,014 disclose a spirit level indicator which is mounted on the head of a golf club. Note that the level indicators in the above-cited references are mounted fixedly on the golf club, and thus, adjustments in the position of the level indicators are not possible. A golfer should therefore recall the position of a bubble in the level indicator relative to a position marker on the same when finding the optimum golf club striking position.
A position indicator which is detachably mounted on a golf club has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,079,520. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the position indicator includes a clamp (b) for securing a boss (b1) on the shaft (a) of a golf club. The boss (b1) receives a level indicator (c). The connection between the boss (b1) and the level indicator (c) is a ball and socket type joint to permit tipping and rotative adjustments of the level indicator (c) upon the boss (b1). A lock screw (d) is provided to lock the level indicator (c) upon the boss (b1) in a position which corresponds to the optimum golf club striking position. Repeated proper positioning of the golf club can be quickly achieved by aligning a bubble in the level indicator (c) with a position marker on the same.
The main drawbacks of the above-described position indicator are as follows:
1. Installation of the position indicator can cause a substantial increase in the cost of the golf club because of the number of components thereof.
2. Repeated initial adjustments in the position of the level indicator (c) upon the boss (b1) should be conducted when finding the optimum golf club striking position. Such adjustments are relatively inconvenient to accomplish and are time-consuming because a lock screw (d) is used to lock the level indicator (c) in a position which corresponds to the optimum golf club striking position.
Other types of conventional level indicators which can be detached from the golf club are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,934,706 and 4,977,680.